When the Shop Will Open and Why it Hasn’t Yet!

Whew. It’s been a crazy last few months! We’ve been getting lots of questions about our progress on the shop, and when it’s EVER going to open! So, we thought we’d write a quick blog post to update everyone.

There are so many factors that go into this build out that we never even knew would exist. We are taking a building that has never had a kitchen, or anything other than retail shelves really, and adding a commercial kitchen, seating, a coffee bar, wifi, storage space, an office… AND making it look AHHHMAZING. There are also several things we’re doing a bit differently than the average business owners, so while it’s taking a little longer than most, it is going to be SO worth it! Here are some of those things we’re doing differently…

1. We’re doing all of the work ourselves

We didn’t sit down and draw up plans and then hire someone to execute them… we’re literally doing EVERYthing! We definitely have an amazing group of family and friends who are helping and offering their expertise in many different areas! But bottom line, each of us have spent countless hours pulling up carpet, stripping glue off of the floors, hanging ceiling tiles, building cabinets, painting, hanging drywall… the list goes on. And, we’re doing these things in all of our spare time… sometimes that means getting up at 3am to be open for the day, and then work in the shop until 6pm, just to go home and do it again the next day. All of this is just to say that this space is being built with so much love and hard work!

2. We’re paying cash… for EVERYTHING!

We didn’t go to the bank and take out a loan to buy all new equipment and pay for all of the building supplies. We’ve simply bought things as we’ve had the cash to do so! This means we can’t just snap our fingers and have everything done. It can feel frustrating at times… as long as it feels like its taken us to get this build out done, we promise it feels TWICE as long to us! BUT, it is going to be SO WORTH IT when we open the doors for the first time and we don’t owe ANYONE a dime for it! How awesome is that!? We’re all huge believers in living a debt-free life, and the business is no different!!

3. We’re still running a business

Probably the most difficult part of this whole thing is trying to balance keeping the business running efficiently while also expanding into the shop. This means keeping up with inventory, buying supplies, placing orders, creating new menu items, paying taxes, coordinating event schedules, baking, and of course, making your delicious coffee each day! This can be difficult for four young business owners who are also trying to spend time with their families and get some rest in there somewhere. When we’re not open on Saturdays or at your favorite event, it probably means we’re swinging a hammer or painting a wall to get this shop open!

So the big question… when exactly WILL the shop be open? We’re so grateful for everyone’s enthusiasm, excitement, and support! We do not have an EXACT date, but our GOAL is the end of September… that’s THIS MONTH! WHAT?! We are SO excited you guys! We are going to wait until we pass ALL inspections before we put out a date. We want to give everyone enough notice to plan to attend our grand opening weekend! So as soon as our inspections are done, we will release the BIG DATE!!!

THANK YOU so much for your continued support and excitement as we take such a huge step! It’s still pretty surreal to us that just over a year ago, 90% of you didn’t even know what this business was! And now we’re just weeks from opening our first storefront! We literally could not do this without you all.